Book Spotlight on Shade's Champion by Cheryl Headford

Sixteen-year-old Shade has spent years imprisoned in a
dark cellar after being snatched off the street as a young child. Events since
his release have left him traumatised and desperate to die.

Dory is a lively and engaging seventeen-year-old with
mental health issues that make him a slave to his dangerously uncontrollable
emotions.

When Shade comes to the secure children's home,
Eastbrook; because no one else wants him, the manager appoints Dory as his
champion, an appointment Dory takes very seriously indeed.

As friendship turns into something else, something new
and exciting, they struggle to find their feet, but every step leads to more
complication.

When a spiteful act separates them, it seems their
love is doomed before it ever had a chance, but when Dory falls ill, it's up to
Shade to pick up the standard and become his champion, although it might
already be too late.

Meet the author

Cheryl was born
into a poor mining family in the South Wales Valleys. Until she was 16, the
toilet was at the bottom of the garden and the bath hung on the wall. Her
refrigerator was a stone slab in the pantry and there was a black lead
fireplace in the kitchen. They look lovely in a museum but aren’t so much fun
to clean.

Cheryl has
always been a storyteller. As a child, she’d make up stories for her nieces,
nephews and cousin and they’d explore the imaginary worlds she created, in
play.

Later in life,
Cheryl became the storyteller for a re enactment group who travelled widely,
giving a taste of life in the Iron Age. As well as having an opportunity to run
around hitting people with a sword, she had an opportunity to tell stories of
all kinds, sometimes of her own making, to all kinds of people. The criticism
was sometimes harsh, especially from the children, but the reward enormous.

It was here she
began to appreciate the power of stories and the primal need to hear them. In
ancient times, the wandering bard was the only source of news, and the
storyteller the heart of the village, keeping the lore and the magic alive.
Although much of the magic has been lost, the stories still provide a link to
the part of us that still wants to believe that it’s still there, somewhere.

In present
times, Cheryl lives in a terraced house in the valleys with her son and
menagerie of three cats, a dog and a dragon. Her daughter has deserted her for
the big city, but they’re still close.

Immersed, as
always, in the world of fantasy, she maintains a burning desire to share the
stories and these days it’s in the form of books which all contain her spark
and unique view on life, the universe and everything.

Excerpt

“You’re
sixteen. A year younger than me. I’m seventeen—but only just gone. One more
year and I’ll get to leave. I don’t know where I’ll go, though.” He heard the
nervousness creep into his voice and tried to swallow it. Shade didn’t need to
have his worries on top of his own. Shade didn’t seem to notice. He was
thinking hard.

“Sixteen’s
not very old, is it?”

“No, not
very. Well, not at all really. You’re not a grown-up yet. I don’t think I’ll
ever be a grown-up, but I guess you will. You weren’t put together wrong,
just...broken a bit.”

Shade
laughed. “Broken a lot.”

“Hmm. I
don’t think so.”

“How would
you know?”

“I can see
it in your eyes. There have been broken people here before, and there’s
something scary in their eyes. Your eyes aren’t scary at all.”

“Really?
They feel scary to me.”

“How can
eyes feel scary? Oh, you’re teasing me.” Dorien had caught a certain twinkle,
and it made him feel excited. Shade wasn’t so shut down after all. There was a
nice person in there waiting to come out, Dorien was sure of it.

Shade’s
smile faded. He sighed and closed his eyes.

“Are you
okay?”

“I don’t
know. I feel...I don’t know.”

“Did that
horrible doctor give you more meds?”

“Horrible?”
Shade opened his eyes and blinked at him. He looked confused, but that humour
was lurking in the shadows again.

“Oh yes. I
had to go to a meeting to decide if I’m up to being your friend. My doctor was
there, and so was yours. They were almost fighting because yours is horrible
and mine is nice. Penny got cross, too, and she told him that if he didn’t
stick to the point she’d throw him out. Well, she didn’t exactly say that, but
it was implied. Penny often does that, kind of not saying things, but you know
what she means.”

“I have no
idea what you just said.”

“Sorry, am I
talking too fast again?”

“No,
well...yes. I...I have trouble following. It’s...”

“Oh. That’s
okay. I get like that sometimes when the doctors change my meds. Dr. Blake says
the best thing to do is get up and walk it off. You should do that. Hey, I can
show you around. No one told me we have to stay here.”

“I don’t
know. I don’t feel so good. I want to just lie here and—”

“But that
would be boring for me.”

“You said it
was okay to go to sleep.”

“Well, I
didn’t really mean it, and anyway, I didn’t know then how much fun you are.”

“I am?” He
sounded so surprised Dorien had to smile.

“Yes, you
are. Come on, get up. By the time you get to the end of the corridor, you’ll be
fine. Have you got a really fuzzy head? I hate that. It doesn’t happen much
anymore, but I get it a lot after an episode or when they’re changing my meds.
It will go away. Do you need me to help you?”

“I...think...
Dorien, I don’t this is a good idea.”

“Call me
Dory. Come on, up you get. I’ll help you.”

“No, I...”

No matter
how much Shade protested, Dorien was single-minded. He just knew Shade would be
okay once he was on his feet.

“I have no idea what you just said.”

“Sorry, am I
talking too fast again?”

“No, well...
yes. I... I have trouble following. It’s....”

“Oh. That’s
okay. I get like that sometimes when the doctors change my meds. Dr. Blake says
the best thing to do is get up and walk it off. You should do that. Hey, I can
show you around. No one told me we have to stay here.”

“I don’t
know. I don’t feel so good. I want to just lie and—”

“But that
would be boring for me.”

“You said it
was okay to go to sleep.”

“Well, I
didn’t really mean it, and anyway, I didn’t know then how much fun you are.” “I
am?” He sounded so surprised Dorien had to smile.

“Yes, you
are. Come on, get up. By the time you get to the end of the corridor you’ll be
fine. Have you got a really fuzzy head? I hate that. It doesn’t happen much
anymore, but I get it a lot after an episode or when they’re changing my meds.
It will go away. Do you need me to help you?”

“I...
think.... Dorien, I don’t this is a good idea.”

“Call me
Dory. Come on, up you get. I’ll help you.”

“No,
I....”

No matter
how much Shade protested, Dorien was single-minded. He just knew Shade would be
okay once he was on his feet.

Groaning but
compliant, Shade allowed Dorien to haul him up to sit on the edge of the bed.
He bowed his head, his hands resting on his knees. “Give me a minute.”

“What’s
wrong?”

“I don’t
feel right. I think I’m going to be sick.”

“No, you
won’t. Once you start walking you’ll feel better.”

“Are you
sure?” Shade looked up at him, his honeyed eyes wide and bright. Something
inside Dorien went shivery.

“Yes. Give
me your hands.”

Shade’s
hands were cold but sweating. Dorien gripped them tightly and dragged Shade to
his feet. Shade staggered forward and almost knocked Dorien over .

“Shit. Be
careful. You’re bigger than me. You’ll break me.”

“Not
bigger.”

“Nope,
you’re definitely bigger. I’m a long string of nothing. Rich says that when
he’s teasing me about how much I eat. I eat a lot but I never seem to put
weight on. I think it’s because I do everything fast. I—are you alright? You’ve
gone awfully pale.”

“No.” Shade
mumbled something else, Dorien couldn’t hear.

“What did
you say? Can’t you stand up properly now? You’re too heavy.”

Shade raised
his head and met Dorien’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, then his eyes
rolled and he collapsed, unconscious.

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